Watching Time Change
by Final Remix
Summary: Sora is sent away by a mysterious stranger after he awoke from his sleep in Castle Oblivion. Suddenly he is confronted with his past and a torn with a choice between his past and his future... [RikuSora] [AkuRoku]
1. Chapter 1: Hard to let it go

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Kingdom Hearts this wouldn't be fanfiction. I'm dead broke and can't even afford Chain of Memories for GBA, so don't sue 'cause I'll cry...

**Warning: **This story may contain traces of nuts and dairy products... Only not...

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He was floating, contained within the translucent white capsule like a prisoner, and yet completely unaware of his confinement. Sora's consciousness was drifting, desperately grasping onto the fragmented memories drifting between his dreams. His thoughts were abstracted, leaving the mental line between dream and reality blurred to near-nonexistence.

"_Roxas"_

A dull buzzing filled his head, shattering his thoughts and slicing through his already fragmented consciousness. Sora was ripped out of his dream-like state, but even so his dazed senses failed to focus on the voice. He couldn't even tell if this voice was audible or not; whether the voice was real, or the product of his disorientated thoughts.

"_Come back to us, Roxas."_

It was almost pleading, this voice.

"… _Please."_

His footsteps echoed throughout the room as he made his way forwards, never shifting his gaze from the capsule in the centre. Slowly, as gently as a flower blossoming for the first time, the translucent layers fell away to reveal the small form still floating and newly awakened within its confines. He continued moving towards the now-opened capsule, the hem of his black coat grazing the ground as he walked.

The hooded figure stopped and silently stared upwards. Sora's eyes flickered open, instantly taking in his surroundings. Completely unaware of his watcher, the boy launched himself free from the capsule; his feet coming into contact with the tiled ground and making a resounding dull _'thud'_. A single pair of eyes never left him, focusing on Sora intently, taking stock of his every action.

Spotting the figure before him adamantly moving forward, he instantly began to lapse into a state of quiet panic. There was some nagging feeling of unease, bringing with it a feeling that there was something he hadn't fully remembered – however much he desperately called upon himself to remember. Something important about this person who stood before him, hooded and clothed all in a black coat. Sora began to turn to the left and right, desperately hunting for something that would make him less vulnerable. Stronger.

Almost of its own will, a keyblade appeared in his grasp.

"It's so nice of you to join me, Sora." The figure said, ceasing their approach and stopping some distance away from their target, "I've been waiting."

"Who are you? Tell me!" Sora demanded sharply.

"Why Sora, you don't remember me. I'm almost hurt." The figure stated almost mockingly, holding their hands over their heart for unnecessary dramatic effect.

Slowly the figure's hands reached up and pulled back the obscuring hood, as the Sora's eyes widened in recognition of the person standing before him. Sora had hoped he wouldn't return after their last encounter in Castle Oblivion. It wasn't – it shouldn't be possible. Only one word repeated itself again and again in Sora's thoughts… _"Why?"_

"Why are you here?" Sora challenged, grasping the keyblade tighter in his hand as if to be reassured of its continuing presence.

"I don't really have any intention of letting you know that just yet." The other responded offhandedly - almost amused by the boy before him.

"… and in any case," Sora had failed to notice the person before him still talking, "you probably wouldn't like my purposes."

Sora glared. He didn't know what to expect. This person standing before him was completely unreadable, the meanings behind his thoughts and precisely chosen words heavily veiled.

Given the circumstances, Sora was at a loss. Assuming he attempted to run and escape, he would most likely be caught and killed, not even taking into account the potential for magic barriers to be surrounding the room. On the other hand, he was in no condition to remain and fight, his senses and wits still dulled from his long sleep. It seemed to Sora, however, as though he wasn't the one who was to be given the choice. So he fell upon his last resort, earnestly hoping that it would be enough.

Raising his head and taking a deep breath, he cried with all his capacity-

"Donald!"

"Goofy!"

"… Riku?"

The only reply he received was a bitter laugh from the person before him, followed by another remark. "What's the matter, Sora? I thought you were going to stay and fight. You usually do, you know?"

"…" Sora had no response. There really was nothing he could do this time.

"Relax. It's not like I'm going to fight you or anything." Sora eyed the speaker distrustfully, not wanting to believe his words.

Sora's feet suddenly felt cold, he could feel the sensation of slippery tendrils winding their way around his ankles. There was darkness… darkness all around him. He began to loose feeling in his legs as the tendrils of darkness wound their way around his body, and he began to panic and struggle – fighting against the darkness that threatened to overcome him. _"N-no… Don't do this to me…"_

The darkness was growing. Overtaking him. All his emotions, his feelings and memories, they were all taken by the darkness surrounding him – thrown back at him as anger and hatred. He couldn't do this, Sora knew he couldn't allow the darkness to take him, but he was powerless to stop it. The darkness already had too much control. Even the purest of hearts could be taken by the darkness.

Pleadingly he looked over at the black-clad figure one last time before the darkness engulfed him, and one last sentence reached his ears.

"Don't worry. I only wanted to show you a little something."

The portal of darkness closed over Sora, leaving the only the remnants of the darkness to disperse in his wake. Only then did the observer allow himself a satisfied smirk.

* * *

Two friends sat side by side on the worn wooden planks of the dock, staring out at the far-off mainland. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a red tinge across the waters and the distance roofs of the distant town. 

A voice spoke, and the fragile silence that hung between the two girls was broken.

"Man, I can't believe Tidus and Wakka wouldn't come with us… for old time's sake, ya know?" Selphie complained, idly tossing a nearby rock into the ocean and listening to the sharp 'plop' it made as it hit the water.

Kairi grinned weakly, her thoughts straying to her memories. Looking over at the sand inlet, she realised it hadn't changed a single bit. She could almost visualise the three of them racing each other, laughing. Like it used to be.

…

"_Sora, you lazy bum." Kairi giggled, standing over a newly-woken Sora lying stretched out in the sand._

"_You still have to gather supplies for the raft," Riku jokingly accused._

"…_And you," He continued, turning to Kairi, "you're just as lazy as he is."_

"_Hehe. So you noticed." Kairi said, laughing._

…

"Do you remember the raft, Selphie?" Kairi whispered softly to her friend, not turning her eyes away from the water. Selphie furrowed her forehead, trying to remember.

Her face lit up with enthusiasm as she remembered, and she predictably jumped to her feet and started making wild hand gestures.

"Yes! You were making that when you all disappeared! I remember!" She cried out enthusiastically.

Kairi continued to gaze pensively across the water, her feet swinging absently from the end of the dock.

"You know," Kairi started, not even knowing if she wanted to talk for her own benifit of for Selphie's, "its kind of strange how everything works. We really did end up travelling to other worlds." At this she gave a feeble, pathetic laugh. A laugh that almost showed her deepest insecurities and regrets, before she continued on.

"… who would have know that it all meant nothing if we weren't together."

And she knew it wasn't the three of them that she was referring to, as her thoughts directed themselves exclusively at Sora. His smile, his laugh. The way his eyes filled with a glow of determination as he was competing with Riku.

Without realising it, a single tear slid down over her cheek and fell through the air towards the wood below, marking the wood with a single round dot.

Selphie was lost for words, the breaking of the waves the only sound that cut through the silence.

"Selphie?" Kairi asked softly over the waves that hit the beach.

"Yes?" Selphie responded, turning to Kairi, eager to find a way to help. It was never any fun when people were depressed.

"They'll come back right? Sora will come back to me?"

Selphie smiled to reassure Kairi, the only thing she could think to do,"Of course."

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**Authors Note:** Yo! I can only assume that if you have read this far, you will have formed an opinion on the above randomness. I swear, there is a plot... Somewhere... I promise I'll dig it up before next chapter.

So anyway. Please _review/rant/flame/give advice_... you know, whatever. Cause attention makes me feel loved. .

Oh yeah, and any suggestions on characters/plotline etc are greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2: Just by that, I am happy

**Disclaimer: **Again... Fanfiction me not own. Poor me. I don't nothing, not even the space this story is uploaded to... So please dont sue ...

**Warning: **Not really any warnings. If any actually get around to appearing, I'll tell you...

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It was late. The sun had long since set over the ocean, only leaving behind the feeble light offered by the pale moon and stars. Kairi stood on the short stretch of sand, moonlight illuminating her face and playing across her girlish features. She watched the lights in the houses dotting the mainland flicker out one by one. Just standing alone, silently waiting.

There was some compelling feeling that almost forced her to return to the each that night. She shivered, although there was no chill in the air. The thought that crossed her mind chilled her to the bone. The too-sudden realization that she had experienced this feeling before.

"Sora…" She bit her lip, trying to repress her thoughts.

Without warning her attention was drawn away. As she turned back to the ocean, she felt her skin go cold and the blood drain from her face. She didn't have any idea what was going on but all she knew was now, for certain, everything had started… What lay before her couldn't be good, and a feeling grew deep inside her heart that nothing would ever be the same again.

Occasionally, however, there are good things found in unexpected places. Then Kairi saw him. She could recognise him anywhere. It was Sora… _HER_ Sora.

She stood, glued to one spot, her eyes inexplicably drawn not to Sora but to the fading darkness behind him. Sora himself lay stretched out on his back in the sand. He was still disorientated, unaware of his surroundings.

"Sora! Sora, is that you?" Kairi found her feet again, and found herself running to his side.

"Kai…Kairi?" Sora stuttered, looking up, disorientated, at his surroundings. Even in the dark of night he could recognize his home. It hadn't changed one bit, and he knew that even if he changed his home would be the one constant he could cling to in times of uncertainty. In a way it reassured him – allowing him to think just for a few seconds that just maybe, one day, things would go back to the way they were before everything. Back to the way it was all supposed to be. It seemed like decades ago, and in the same second it was hard to forget that it really had been only a year.

Before another word could be exchanged between them, or another thought could cross through Sora's head, Sora became aware of an unexpected pressure on his chest. A warm weight pressed against him, pushing him back into the sand and rendering him unable to move.

Kairi had flung herself at him, clinging to him like she would never let go… Like she _could_ never let go. A dampness began to spread over Sora's shirt, as tears flowed unhindered from her eyes.

"I… I just c-cant believe… you're back. You're r-really back." She choked out between sobs.

Gently Sora shifted her weight aside and sat upright, a smile spreading across his face as bright as a sunrise over the ocean.

"_Yeah… I really am."_

And although Sora knew that nothing was the same, somehow just for now, he felt like it might all just work out. It might be good enough.

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"Its dark." Sora aloud, as if noticing for the first time.

Kairi had detached herself from Sora, content for the moment just to wrap her arms around his shoulders and murmur the answers to Sora's many questions in his ear.

"Mm," She murmured in agreement, "but something just made me come back."

"Made you?"

Another noise of agreement. "… like that first time over a year ago. Something like that. Like you don't really have a choice at all…"

"… Destiny." Sora responded thoughtfully, more to himself than anyone else, before falling silent.

"Kairi… Where's Riku? Have you seen him?" the question had passed his lips before he even realised that he had asked it.

"Riku? I haven't seen him at all." Kairi murmured again.

Sora stared disappointedly into the distance, watching the waves crash predictably on the shore. One after another, almost like clockwork. If only life were so predicable. Despite himself, Sora began to think that retuning to the island wouldn't make everything alright.

Kairi just hugged him tighter, as if that would be enough to distract his thoughts from Riku.

"Lets go back to the mainland, okay Sora?" Kairi asked, her usual enthusiasm returning as she jumped to her feet and began to drag Sora along behind her.

"My mother…" Sora began cautiously, almost afraid of the answer he would receive.

"I'm sorry, Sora." She replied quietly, "She… she left town when everyone gave up hope of you ever returning. It was probably too much of a burden for her to handle."

Sora just nodded, not sure whether it was in acceptance of his mother's reason or on acknowledgement. However, he kept the question he had just formed to himself, although he couldn't restrain his mind from wondering why she seemed to be doing everything to avoid the topic of Riku. Was it to guard Sora, to protect his emotions or for some other reason? Sora couldn't tell.

"Come on. Lets go!" Kairi grabbed at Sora's waist, leading him forcefully to the small wooden boat tied to the dock.

"You can stay with me!" she said with an enthusiastic smile. She decided al that time ago to be with him no matter what. He had protected her, now she vowed to do the same for him, even if it meant protecting him from himself.

* * *

Nobody knew why it existed, the World that Never Was. Lights uselessly fought back the darkness , in a world that was never inhabited. It was a world without meaning, without purpose; almost as if it never had a heart to loose to the darkness. It was only fitting that only those without hearts inhabited that world.

Skyscrapers strained upwards against the darkness, the lights from their windows showing the presence of countless empty rooms. The streets below were lifeless and barren, leaving the silence to become almost deafening.

Though this silence, a set of footsteps drummed out a steady rhythm, and a black cloaked figure strode through the empty streets. The garments hem just hovering gracefully above the concrete of the road. Almost as if it were a game, the hem would dip towards the concrete, only to be drawn away again at the last second. Until, without warning, the footsteps stopped, leaving only the edges of the coat to sway; almost as if it were attempting to keep up the façade of motion.

Tendrils of darkness rose into the blackened sky, merging together and calling forth enough darkness to temporarily break through the natural barriers separating off the realm of darkness. Creating a portal, of sorts, for those who had already given over their very existence to the service of the darkness.

Not one thing in the black figures demeanor eluded to any degree of surprise, not in the slightest, when a second figure dressed in the same manner appeared through the temporary portal. Instead it seemed that the first person was more amused than anything else. You could almost hear the faint smirk in his voice.

"You have been expecting me." The figure stated as he stepped through the portal. Not a question, but merely a dry fact.

"Well… You're pretty easy to predict, you know?" Was the only reply offered.

"Why did you do it? Why did you free his heart… Set him free and return him to the Islands like you did."

"Why. I thought you'd be proud of me." Sarcasm this time.

"I see. So you wish to try and hide your true motives." he laughed, "You have no heart. Never forget that. DiZ plans have been delayed, for now, but do not expect me to be gracious to you when the time comes. Then you will finally be able to realise how little you were actually able to change destiny."

The figure brought a hand to his hooded face like he was yawning. By the time the hand was returned to its original place, the visitor was gone, back into the darkness whence he came.

"Yeah... Whatever." The remaining figure said aloud to the deserted city.

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**Authors Note: **Yep. It's me again. GUESS WHAT! I finished Kingdom Hearts 2, WOOT! Omg Sora and Riku are so cute when they fight together against Xemnas...

And yeah. Please, please, please review. It would be really, nice? You know, just to tell whether people care about this story or not. Even if you have nothing to contribute.

I promise chapter 3 will be better. I wrote most of chapter 3 before this so... yeah. And if you didn't pick it up... All the chapter names are song lyrics. Look up the songs sometime. They're good.


	3. Chapter 3: Turning sadness into kindness

**Disclaimer: **Yep. Don't own. Why are these things even necessary anyway, I mean, the whole concept of makes it pretty obvious that the authors of the fanfics don't own the series... -shrug- Don't sue??

**Warning: **Not really any warnings. Maybe... Shounen-ai? Depends on what your mind wants to think... okay, so probably Shounen-ai... Oh well. FLAME ME! (I love the attention, it amuses me!)

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These moments were what he continued to exist for. It was just him and Roxas. They weren't doing anything, they weren't even saying anything. Just sitting side by side, with only silence surrounding them. Words weren't always necessary.

They sat together on the edge of Roxas' narrow bed. Axel's legs attempting to wrap around Roxas' smaller ones as the younger boy tried to inconspicuously shuffle away.

Axel smirked in amusement at the younger boy's failed attempt to gain freedom, and proceeded to coil his arms around one of the blonde's, clinging to it in mock desperation.

"Axel…" they boy tried to free his arm from the older redhead's possessive clutch.

"Mine!" Axel declared loudly in reply, planting a gentle and unexpected kiss on the side of Roxas' neck. Almost as if he were trying to apologise. Roxas just blushed and tried to push Axel away with his free hand.

"Aww. Come on, Rox-as…" Axel dragged Roxas' name out in a half-teasing tone, "You know you lo-ve it."

Roxas blushed deeper. There was truth, however, in Axel's words. Roxas couldn't deny it no matter how hard he tried to push the thought aside. He realised all of a sudden, that there was more than one way he could have forced Axel to back away from him, and he hadn't even considered one of them. This thought left him to distractedly pick at a non-existent speck of dust on the blanket beside him as he tried to block out the feeling of Axel snuggling into his neck.

They were friends, after all, and Roxas didn't want to hurt Axel. Regardless of what he did or didn't feel, it was inescapable. All they had was each other, and breaking Axel's heart would leave them both alone and vulnerable, a thought that made Roxas more afraid than anything. But right now, Roxas thought something needed to be done.

"You know, Axel…" Roxas blurted out, pulling away from Axel, "Xemnas told me something."

Axel froze and his body tensed almost automatically.

"Shit!" He cursed. Uncertainty flashed across his normally confident features. He squeezed his eyes closed, almost to prepare himself for the onslaught he thought was to come. To detach himself from the world and set his mind and consciousness free in a place where it was okay to believe that everything would always turn out alright.

"You… You met with _Him_ again!" It wasn't a question that Roxas expected Axel to answer. It was a statement; delivered so matter-of-factly that Axel was almost taken aback by Roxas' façade of detachment and lack of emotion.

Axel remained silent, only permitting a vaguely hurt expression to cross his face. He didn't understand why Roxas suddenly seemed so detached and distant from him.

"Don't trust Xemnas." Axel half-whispered desperately, "Whatever he said to you, just don't let it get to you."

Axel tried to pull Roxas closer to him. His efforts were blocked by Roxas' hands pushing back on Axel's chest, forcing him to keep his distance.

"No. Axel. I have to know. Why did you do it?"

Roxas fell silent for a moment, and when the redhead made no effort to talk, Roxas continued.

"I don't care if you don't ever tell anyone else why you did it, just tell me."

Axel was stuck. Roxas would end up feeling hurt either way. And he knew, remorsefully, that Roxas' pain was all his fault.

Axel was silent again. The only sound fame from their breathing as Axel focussed his thoughts towards what he was to tell Roxas. The tension between then was thick, and Axel could tell that even though Roxas hadn't stated anything, more then just temporary hurt and anger was riding on the answer to the question.

"Roxas," Axel started, "You probably won't understand this. It was to protect you."

Roxas' eyes were trained on Axel. Expecting him to continue.

Axel sighed when he saw the expression on Roxas' face, and began to go on with his explanation.

"You know that you're his nobody?" Roxas gave a single nod, "…If you see him, you'll become part of him. I couldn't let that happen. So I had to protect you."

Roxas glared, exactly the reaction that Axel was predicting.

"You thought you could protect me, from something that I wanted in the first place? I can't believe you went behind everyone's backs to do something that would stop me from making my own decisions!" The tremor of anger and frustration in Roxas' voice was more than evident, "I can handle things on my own, wether you choose to believe that or not. Don't act like you know everything, like you have the right to judge and decide for me."

The blonde boy rose from where he was sitting, striding angrily towards the door. Axel stood and reached out to grab Roxas' hand to draw him back. As the redhead's fingers closed around his wrist, Roxas tried to jerk his hand away, never ceasing to move towards the door.

Axel, however, wouldn't give up that easily. He tightened his hold on the blonde's wrist and pulled back sharply. Roxas, caught off balance, fell back into a now-standing Axel. His fall was broken by two arms waiting to support him.

Despite the anger and frustration he was feeling, Roxas blushed at the sensation of the older boy's hands on his hips. He hoped fervently to himself that Axel would fail to notice his cheeks had reddened. Axel was sure to get the wrong idea. Once again, Roxas cursed mentally at the part of him that he had no control over, the part that made him do such irrational things.

Axel lowered his head, pressing his lips briefly to Roxas' forehead in a chaste kiss. Roxas forgot about his discomfort, and his anger towards Axel. And just for a second, he let his guard down and his control slip, as his irrational side took over. Just for a short moment in time, where everything seemed to grow still and silent, his lips met Axel's for a kiss the redhead didn't initiate.

---------------

Sora was mildly confused, when he opened his eyes upon feeing rays of morning sunlight dancing across his face, until he remembered Kairi and Destiny Islands.

When he found his way to the kitchen, Kairi was perched on the edge of the bench. Her feet idly drummed out an irregular rhythm as they swung against the cupboard doors, as she ate out of a small and brightly-coloured bowl of cereal she had clutched in her hand.

A cheeky grin crossed her face as she caught sight of Sora and his bemused expression. He stood, unsure of what to do, in the doorway. Kairi giggled, gesturing with the hand that held her spoon, for Sora to sit himself next to her on the kitchen counter-top. Sora apprehensively obeyed the silent command, despite the annoying niggling feeling of his subconscious telling him it was impolite to treat another person's house so disrespectfully. After all, it wasn't as if the house even belonged to Kairi's parents, but to the Mayor of Destiny Islands and his wife who had kindly taken Kairi in all those years ago when she had washed up on the beach from another world.

It wasn't until Sora was stiffly perched precariously next to the redhead girl that he noticed her curious choice of clothes. A white button-down blouse and blue tartan skirt were hardly normal and everyday attire, especially for Kairi who favoured pink above all else, as Sora knew from her exploits in trying to get him to wear 'just one pink shirt'.

At an enquiring glance from the boy on her right, she giggled again.

"I'm going to school, silly!" Kairi said between giggles, "You're coming too."

To Sora, after so long away from everything routine and predictable, School seemed like a foreign concept. At the same time, it seemed alluring, like the promise of something normal and unchanging. School, he continued to realise, wasn't really for people like him. He didn't feel like he could stay, like he should stay. He couldn't shake the unfulfilled feeling of something still not being right. Sora, more than anything, just wanted his life to turn out all okay again.

The kitchen and its occupants were bathed in rays of early morning light, the still-feeble rays blending with the co-ordinated colour scheme to form a pale orange glow across everything it touched. The girl looked towards Sora expectantly, as if she were waiting for a response.

But no comment came. Just his trademark grin, before he continued to be immersed in his own silent thoughts.

Kairi busied herself in various cupboards, producing cereal for Sora's breakfast. Somehow, to Sora, it just seemed like Kairi was doing everything she could to keep the exchanged of words as shallow as possible. She filled the room with an enthusiastic tirade of information and facts, about school, her life and the comings and goings on the Islands – most of which made little sense to Sora.

* * *

**Authors Note: **I'm baack. And I come bearing more chapters. So review or I KILL JOO! Nah, but I _WILL_ cry. So be nice and click the little strange-colored button. You know you waaant to. Also, sorry for any OOC-ness in this chapter. I tried really hard, so point anything I might need to change or whatever out to me, and I'll love you forever. 

In other news, I got Chain of Memories... Axel is in it, which makes it dead awesome. -nods- Now I own all three games. YAY!

Yeah. I did write this author's note already, but then the internet page died, JUST as I'd finished. So yeah, review to make my poor brain feel better. And THANK YOU to everyone who was dedicated enough to read this far. I LOVE JOO ALLLL!


	4. Chapter 4: We can't erase the past

**Disclaimer: **Please have pity on me and don't sue... I am but a pathetic fanfic writer, who owns nothing but her copy of Kindom Hearts I and II, and Chain of Memories for GBA... Well, that and if I DID own KH, it would no longer be 'G' rated -shiftyeyes-

**Warning: **Yeah. Well. We know the pairings by now, they're in the summary if you forgotted... apart from that I can't really think of anything. -shrug-

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Sora headed out of the train station with an air of certainty, towards the main street, but upon reaching the road he could not decide which way to turn. He had just walked this route in reverse just the other day, but now he had lost all sense of direction. He hadn't managed to get a hundred metres from the station before finding himself unsure of his surroundings. It just made Sora realise how out of place he really was. Had this world really changed that much since he left? Or was it that he had forgotten so much? 

He looked left and right, searching for just a hint of something familiar to use as a bearing, but both directions looked the same to him. Just city buildings and apartment blocks.

Kairi's house was about a quarter of an hours walk from East Station, he remembered, a large house by the oceans coastline. From the balcony outside her bedroom, Kairi could even see the islands out in the bay… The little isle out in the bay where Kairi and the others had spent so much time when they were younger. And just for a moment, Sora found himself wishing just once that things could go back to the way they were. Was it really all that time ago, all those years?

"Hey, Kid. You okay?" Sora was dragged out of his thoughts by a voice from behind him.

He mentally cursed at Kairi for staying back at school late with that Selphie girl for some sort of committee meeting about a dance. Sora found himself very wary of strangers since her reawakened from his artificially induced 'sleep', completely forgetting that Leon and his other Twilight Town friends were strangers too once.

As he spun around, he was faced with a rather unusual looking girl. Her black hair was braided into haphazard cornrows, before being pulled back into a crude ponytail behind her head.

"You're a student too?" Sora inquired hesitantly, nodding to the blouse and blue tartan skirt she was wearing, although she had obviously tossed a heavy black coat over it as she left school.

She just nodded in reply, before adding, "I was just passing, and I saw you looking so lost and out of it. Normally I would have just walked on past, but your _that _Kid, right?"

Sora concealed a sigh. News of his return had spread all over the school like wildfire, in just the short day since he had come back. He tugged at the hem of his trademark shirt, definitely not part of the regulation uniform, thinking of the rumours that he had heard in the past hours.

"… I'm sorry. You probably don't like the rumours, huh?"

Sora thought back to one particular rumour he'd heard, that he'd been sent to a detention centre for years, and grimaced.

"Anyway. I'm Lulu." She finished.

"Sora. But I'm sure you knew that." He replied bluntly.

"Yeah." She replied, "Need some help?"

"I am a little lost…" Sora admitted, "I'm trying to get to Kairi's house… You know it? So much has happened to make me forget…"

"Yeah. I know it. Don't feel like you have to justify yourself to me, Sora."

He found himself walking side by side with the strange girl in comfortable silence, as they made their way towards the outskirts of the town. Sora found himself in amazement of just how fast the scenery could change, leaving him to wonder if it was always so.

"What made you offer?" Sora asked when he tired of the drawn-out silence,"You don't seem the type given to random acts of charity."

"True." She admitted bluntly. There was another pause as they continued walking, before the girl added dismissively, "You interest me."

Sora wasn't so sure if that was a good thing or not.

"You and Riku left at the same time?" Lulu asked, her black eyes presenting an unreadable expression.

"Riku..." Sora breathed quietly, "… I didn't know anyone but me and Kairi remembered him."

Lulu took a mental note of the soft expression on Sora's face at the mention of his friend.

"I miss him." Sora half-whispered, "Nothing's the same here without him. Like something's missing."

Sora paused and gave a sudden forced laugh. "Look at me. Why am I telling a stranger all of this?" He grinned insincerely.

"…Not at all. In fact, it's important to fight for the things you feel strongly about. I'm sure you of all people know that already. So what's stopping you? You have a choice, Sora, and it's up to you to make the right one. Because nobody but you will have to live with the consequences." She gave off the air of one who knew more than they were telling.

The two didn't talk after that. Not out of anger or bad feeling directed against the other, but rather from a sense that everything that needed to be said had already been exchanged between them, an alien feeling to the normally excitable Sora.

So, as strange as it may have seemed, Sora wasn't at all surprised when girl parted ways without another word.

Before him the worn dirt path lead down the hill towards the ocean, and the small picturesque cottages suddenly became familiar to him. The mayor's house was visible in the distance, perched precariously on the edge of a hill. Sora realised that it didn't look anything like home.

…

Sora threw the controller down in disgust, flopping over so he was spreadeagled on the floor. Girls weren't supposed to be good at games. They especially weren't supposed to beat him twelve times in a row at Soul Calibur. He glared dangerously at the console, causing Kairi to giggle in amusement from her position on the carpeted floor.

Ever since Kairi had returned home, she and Sora had planted themselves in front of the Playstation 2. Even so late into the evening, there was no sign of Kairi's adoptive mother or father. When she was questioned about this, she just shrugged and replied, "It's always like this."

"Hey Sora, wanna take a break from getting beaten?" Kairi questioned, jokingly.

Sora laughed, "I was only going easy on you… You are a girl, you know."

"You're more of a girl than me." Kairi frowned in mock-seriousness.

"Hey!" He shouted, receiving only a cushion tossed at him in reply.

She collapsed carelessly onto her back, only to sit back upright as she was struck by a sudden thought.

"We've got to get you some new clothes eventually… You can't wear those old things forever you know."

"Listen, Kairi." Sora turned to her earnestly, ensuring he captured her eyes with his gaze so she couldn't turn away, "Don't you ever get the feeling that things aren't right?"

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked, confusion across her face, "You're back where you belong. That's all that matters, right?"

"Not that." Sora sighed in disappointment. He'd hoped she'd understand, it was almost as if he'd expected something, "You remember Riku."

"…Of course." She said hesitantly, unsure of where the conversation was headed. Like she was afraid of something.

"So if you remember him being here, with us, how can you act like everything's just fine without him?"

"But you're here Sora. Nothing and nobody else matters right now."

Sora's face fell slightly, and there was an awkward silence, before Sora came out with something that completely blindsided Kairi. Something she, somehow, never expected.

"I can't stay."

"W-what do you mean, Sora?"

Kairi could feel her dreams slipping through her grasp, crumbling apart between her fingers like sand on a beach.

"Sora! You can't say that and really mean it! You just… can't." Her voice was filled with unrestrained emotion.

"Stop! Please Kairi, just stop and listen." Sora responded, his voice pained, "I really don't understand you anymore. It was always just the three of us; you, me and Riku. Now something just feels wrong… like something's missing… and you just don't care?"

"Sora, just trust me. We can make it all okay. We can make this work, I promise." Kairi pleaded.

"But… what about the three of us? It all meant nothing? All those memories of us three, and you don't even care what happens to Riku?"

"No! Not nothing… It didn't mean nothing. But you can't right forever, nothing lasts forever. Even friendships, Sora. Riku made his mistake, his decision, and that's something that we can't change. Life doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough. Maybe if you just tried, you could see that." Tears sprang to her eyes, but she brushed them aside.

Sora fell silent again, the words spoken earlier by the girl he'd met echoing in his mind.

"…_In fact, it's important to fight for the things you feel strongly about. I'm sure you of all people know that already…"_

"I'm sorry, Kairi, but I just can't believe that. My friends are precious to me, even if you don't feel the same, even if you don't care about Riku. You tell me nothing lasts forever, but I can't just give up." Sora stood to his feet, making it abundantly clear that he wanted the conversation to end.

Behind Kairi's now-blank exterior, her mind was racing frantically. Hearing these words; seeing Sora's face so determined. Kairi knew that it was only a matter of time before Sora realised what she already knew.

She had tried so hard to protect Sora, the boy too naive and innocent to catch the true meaning conveyed by Riku's too-friendly stares and outwardly innocent little statements. Kairi had always known, ever since she had first found herself on the island, and it tore her up inside. Soon she knew Sora would realise… and then she would loose him forever. It hurt her so much, that realisation.

After all her work and all her effort, maybe there really was nothing she could do to protect him. Even if it was only from himself.

A soft "_why_" slipped from her lips.

"Kairi?" Sora inquired, almost worridly, knowing nothing of the turmoil of thoughts in Kairi's head. He turned back towards her instead of walking away as he was poised to do.

She did the only thing she could think of under the circumstances – the only thing that might possibly make a difference to Sora. She simply smiled with tears welling in the corner of her eyes once more, and whispered a sentence so softly that Sora could only just hear it.

"Promise, Sora… Promise me you'll come back to me. When this is all over, just say you won't forget."

Grinning back in his charismatic, almost carefree way, Sora replied, "Of course! We'll all be together again, just the three of us, like before."

* * *

**Authors Note: **Sorry for the long wait! xDD. I was really lazy. By the way, the song used for this chapter title, if you don't know already, is D-Tecnolife. It's a Bleach opening, and one of my favourite songs. Go check out! 

Well I'm going on a trip to the Philippines, so I promise I'll have lots of great chapters for you when I get back... What else are planes and hotel rooms for? And I'm so glad its the end of school! Only one more week to go, and then no more exams and assignments...

I'm really looking forward to Supanova... I'm cosplaying as Itachi, if anyone cares and actually knows what Supanova is... -shrug- Anyway...

READ AND REVIEW!! -points to button- ... I'll give you cookies??


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